Mail box



C. AUTH MAIL Box July 8, 1930.

2 shets-sneet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1926 llll Il?! Patented July 8, 1930 CHARLES AUTH, 0F NEW YOLEK, N. Y., AfssIGNOK rro yEMMA Loursn AUTH, OF

BROOKLYN, NEW' YORK MAIL Box Application led October 25, 1926.' Serial No. 143,931.

The invention relates more particularly to a mail box of the type having a plurality of individual locked compartments which may be opened by the respective owners thereof, 5 and a master lock whereby the postman may open all of the compartments simultaneously to deposit mail therein. It will be obvious, however, that the box may be used for other analogous purposes.

One obj ect of the invention is to provide a box of the above type having such a structure that long mail matter, such as large size magazines, may kbe deposited in and withdrawn from the various compartments without requiring that the mail be bent or otherwise forced into or out of the compartments, and to avoid the likelihood of `Inail matter becoming jammed or stuck kin the enclosed compartments.

The invention also aims to provide a box of the above nature which may be made shallow in depth and otherwise compact, and which will involve only simple and relatively inexpensive parts which may be readily assembled, rugged and not likely to be damaged or rendered inoperative in use.

- Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part` obvious and in part specically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained which, taken in con-v junction with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment j' thereof. Such embodiment, however, `is to be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of they invention. In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a box con-' s tructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. v2 Ais a vertical section taken Online 2 2 of Fig. 1.

, Fig. 3 is a view similar to v2 .butshowing the master lock released and the box opened to permit the deposit of mail in its several compartments. i

. f Fig. 4 is a'viewA similar to Fig. 3 but showing one of the individual compartments opened to permit the withdrawal of mail.-

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on v line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the'direction of the LITOWS.

.fln carrying employ a casing 1, which usually will be set into the wall of a building, the casing being open at the front and usually provided with a front panel 2 surrounding the opening. Individual compartments 3 are suitably provided in casing 1 as by means of parallel partition members 4 (Fig.v 5) extending forwardly from the back of the casing.

In accordance with the present invention, closure members for the several compartments are provided, all of which may be opened by movement about one axis when the master lock is released and which may be opened separately byfmovement about another axiswhen their individuall locks are released. Preferably, the closure members extend substantially the full length'of the compartments and the opening movements are such as to exposesubstantially the full length of the compartments, whereby long pieces-of mail, such as magazines and newspapers, may be inserted or withdrawn without bending. In the illustrated form of the invention, each compartment ,3 is provided with a closure member5ginthe-form of a plate covering the entire compartment and the bottom of each closure member is provided with a suitableV individual lock`6, such lock in the present form of the invention being shown as provided with a bolt 7 (Figs. 2 and 3) ywhich projects through a slot 8 in the bottom Wall of the ,casing when the lock is closed. Y

' AOne of the members furthermore is provided withl a suitablelock 9 for its upper end, this lock acting as a master lock and Abeing shown 'as prOvided with a bolt 10 (Fig. 2) which projects into a slot 11 in the top wall, of the casing when the casing is closed. The upper endsofA the closure members 5l furthermore are Vconnected together so that when the lock 9 is closed none of the compartments may be opened from the top. In the present instance a rod 12 connects all of the closure members at their tops and,'furthermore, acts y as apivot about which'each closure member can swing when its corresponding lock 6 is released. 'Thus when all of the compartments are closed and locked, the postman may release lock 9and pull the topsof all. the

closure lmembers forwardly, the latter swingl ing about their bottom edges as pivots and Cil Y ments 4 during lmovement of the closures, and

these side flanges may be provided with lugs 14 (Figs. 3 and 4) which act as stops to pre-L vent the closures from falling open toofar when the master lock is release Towithdraw mail from an individual compartment, the owner releases the corresponding lock 6 and may then swing the closure member upwardly from the bottom about rod l2 as a pivot. It will be noted that this movement exposes substantially the entire length of the compartment', whereby there is little likelihood that mail will become jammed or stuck in attempting to remove it. The closure 5 corresponding to master lock 9 furthermore may beprovided with a pin or the like 15 cooperating with a slot 16pm an adjacent partition 4to preventV the closure 5 from being opened far enough to enable the owner of the corresponding compartment to openall; of the compartments.` It will 'be noted that in the position shown in Fig. '4, the upper edge of closure 5 is swung upwardly behind the'panel 2 so as to prevent the remainin'g compartments from being opened. However, Vif `closure 5 were permitted to swing Vup to ahorizontal position the remaining closures vcould then be moved to the posi-l tion shown in Figsl 3 and 5.

vWhile av specific embodiment of the invention has been described, it is obvious that many` changes may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined in the following claims. ^Iclaim: Y Y y l. A mail box comprising a casing open at the front, partition members within the casing forming separate compartments therein, and closure members for the fronts of the respective compartments, means for affording a common swinging movement of' said closure members about one axis to afford access to all of said compartments at one end of said closure members," and means affording individual swinging movement of said closure members to afford access to the individual Y' compartmentsfrom the opposite endof said 2Q A mailbox comprising va casing open at.V the front, partition members withinthe casing forming separate compartments therein,

v closuremembers about an axis near said and closure membersfor thefronts of the respective compartments, "means connecting said closure members together near one end thereof to permit swinging movement of such master lock for the first mentioned end of said closure members, and individual locks for said compartments.

3. A mail box comprising a casing open at the front, partition members within the cas- Y ing forming separate compartments therein,

closure members for the fronts of the respective compartments, aV rod pivotally connected to said closure members near one end thereof, the opposite ends of said closure members being pivotally engaged with and disengageable from adjacent fixed parts of the casing, a master lock for the first mentioned end of said closureV members. and individual locks for the second mentioned end of said closure members.Y Y

4Q. A mail box comprising a casing, a substantially full length closure member for the front 'of the casing, bolt operated Vlocking means operable by one key at one end of said closure member permitting swinging movement thereof about an` axis adjacent the c orresponding end thereof when locked, and bolt operated locking means operable by a different key for the other end of said closure member permitting swingingmovement thereof aboutlan axis near the second mentioned end thereof when locked, whereby said closure member may be opened from either end by releasing the corresponding locking means.

5. A mail box comprising a casing open at the front, partition members adapted to form separate compartments in saidr casing, closure members for the fronts ofthe respective compartments, means for affording a common swinging movement of said closure members about an axis near one end thereof `to alford access to all of said compartments, means affording individual swinging movements of said closure members about an axis near the other end of said closure members to adord access to the individual compartments from the opposite end of said closure members, a master lock for the first mentioned end portions of said closure members arranged to allow the individuall swinging movements aforesaid when in locked position,and individual locks for the second mentioned end portionsof said closure members arranged to allow the common swinging movement while in locked position. l Y v 6.A mail box comprising a casing open at the front, partition members ,forming separate kcompartments in said casing, closure members for the fronts of the respective compartments, means pivotally connecting said closure members near one end thereof, a master lock for said end portions of the closure members arranged to allow the aforesaid pivotal movement thereof when inlocked position, means including individual locks for the opposite'fend portions of said-closure members for aording a common swinging move-- Vment-of said closure members about an axis near the last mentioned ends thereof when the master lock is open and for affording individual swinging movements of said closure members about said connecting means'as an axis When the corresponding individual locks are open. n

7 A mail box comprising a casing open at Y the front, partition members adapted to form separate compartments in said casing, closure members for the fronts of the respective compartments, means affording a common swinging` movement of said closure members about an axis near one end thereof to afford access to all of said compartments, a master lock for said closure members preventing the aforesaid swinging movement when closed, mea-ns affording individual swinging movement of said closure members about an axis parallel to the first mentioned axis and substantially spaced therefrom to afford access to the individual compartments, and individual locks for said closure members adapted to prevent their last mentioned swinging movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of October, 1926.

CHARLES AUTH. 

